The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
SOCIAL media has gradually become one of the most significant information highways, providing an affordable means of communication and source of entertainment.
These platforms have provided innovative individuals in the creative sector with an outlet to express themselves and showcase their talents to wider audiences.
The comedy sector has benefited greatly from the social media revolution with many comics rising to stardom by posting hilarious skits on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, among other platforms.
Some of the prominent comedy brands that have done well include PO Box Reloaded, Bustop TV, Ba Tencen and The Comic Pastor.
While local comedy has often been dominated by male comics, there is a group of women who have proven to be competitive entertainers in front of the camera. When The Comic Pastor left Bustop TV, Samantha “Gonyeti” Kureya and Sharon “Magi” Chideu managed to keep the brand alive, leading to their status rising even higher as this provided them with an opportunity to take on leading roles in the skits.
Their collaboration with two other talented female comics Felistas “Mai T” Murata and Tyra “Madam Boss” Chikocho, has given birth to another vibrant comedy brand, Drama Queens.
This group of comedians is probably the most active on social media at the moment when it comes to consistently releasing hilarious skits. Their productions have various themes ranging from current affairs to original creations.
Their collaboration has not only increased the pool of ideas but also the audience base considering that Bustop TV’s Facebook Page has over 60 000 followers, Madam Boss has over 30 000 followers and Mai T’s page has over 20 000 followers.
While the three brands have done well separately, their union has been producing explosive skits, proving that there is power in collaboration.
Last week, the ladies launched a hilarious talk show – “The Drama Queens Talk Show” – where they discuss various societal issues, especially those that affect women.
They posted the pilot episode on Valentine’s Day where they were discussing the relevance of the day to the African woman, sharing their views and expectations.
Bryan K also made a cameo appearance performing the acoustic version of his hit single “Heavy Machine”, before joining in and adding his perspective to the conversation.
The talk show has been well received by comedy fans if the responses in the comments section are anything to go by.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail Leisure, Bustop TV’s co-founder Lucky Aroni said that the comedians he is working with are amazing, which is the reason behind the success of the collaboration.
“These ladies are brilliant comics, so I knew that bringing them together was likely to produce something special,” said Aroni.
“I have been working with Magi and Gonyeti for a while but after seeing how well Mai T and Madam Boss were doing on their pages, we decided to engage them and that is how the Drama Queens came into being.”
The four women have only been working together for less than two months but they are already proving to be a force to reckon with.
Comedy has in the past been dominated by male comics but Drama Queens are changing the landscape, showing that women are also capable of making an impact in the industry.
The creation of a talk show shows that they are not afraid to experiment with new ideas in order to expand their influence.
Aroni said they are now looking for funding so as to improve and sustain the show.
“We launched the pilot episode for the ‘Drama Queens Talk Show’ on Valentine’s Day and the response has been great. We want to do an episode every week where we will be discussing various topical issues but we need funding if this project is to be a success.
“We did not have proper equipment to shoot a proper talk show so we are partnering with Nafuna TV on the project who are helping with all the technical support we need.”
While these comics are self-funded, the corporate sector is slowly realising the power of social media as a marketing tool which has seen several companies coming on board to sponsor some of the skits.
Besides making people laugh, the Drama Queens have other professional lives outside comedy.
When she is not on set, Gonyeti will be busy making sure that other women look good with her hairdressing skills. Mai T’s artistic talents are not just limited to comedy, with fashion designing being her other passion.
Those who have a sweet tooth should befriend Magi who happens to be in the cake baking business. While Madam Boss is a bully on set, she is the opposite of that in her other career in gospel music.
